The present invention relates to a device for dispensing tape such as masking tape, electrician's tape or duct tape etc. which is worn on the user's person and can be operated with a single hand to dispense a desired length of tape for use on a job. When tape is being used on a job such as duct tape by a contractor or masking tape by a painter, it is of utmost importance to always have the roll of tape close at hand and quite often desirable to have a free hand for holding a work piece in place while severing a length of tape from the roll. While tape dispensing devices have been available for years, they do little more than provide an upright stand for the tape and a cutting edge. In addition, such devices are often-times bulky; are of little aid in increasing the accessibility of the tape to the user who may be continually moving about; require both hands to dispense a length of tape and employ a single permanent edge which is often-times inadequate when working with tough bonding tapes. Consequently, these devices are of little use to one who uses tape as a standard tool of his profession.
In order for a tape dispensing device to be of significant assistance to a professional as well as one who is merely making home repairs and the like, it should always be accessible such as by being secured to the wearer's person. If so secured, it must be rigidly held and so constructed that it can be operated with a single hand thereby freeing the worker's other hand for holding a work piece in place, retrieving a tool or the like, or holding a brush laden with paint and thereby avoid having to carefully put the brush aside over a drip can or the like, cut and lay a new length of tape and retrieve the brush. In this regard, not only must the dispenser be accessible, but the end of the roll of tape must be so disposed that it can be readily seized by the user and pulled and severed from the roll without requiring total concentration and distraction from the job. Furthermore, the roll of tape must also be securely mounted on the device while allowing free rotation thereof so as not to hamper the single hand dispensing operation and the cutting edge should be replaceable so that an edge could be replaced when it becomes dull, clogged or broken. The tape dispensing device disclosed and claimed herein provides these features.